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I’m revisiting every moment shared. Every smile, laugh, hug, joke.

How did I miss it?

Tate’s right, being his friend is easy, but now my eyes are wide open, and the possibility of something more makes me want to float away into the clouds.

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s fine. Just a dumb crush.” His smile is weak, wilting at the edges. “I’ll get over it.”

My fingers unlock from around his wrist and drift down to align our palms. Then I tug him closer until our shoes touch. His breath hitches; my heart hammers. “What if I don’t want you to get over it?”

“Talia.” His eyes widen. “What are you doing?”

“Shh.” I squeeze his equally trembling hand. “I wanna try something.”

Then I’m pressing up on my tiptoes and brushing my lips to his.

Peppermint gum. Sunshine smiles. Tate Brooks.

Tate’s fingers tighten around mine, and his other hand tentatively curls around my shoulder, drawing me closer. We fumble our way through what is the best first kiss in existence.

When we pull apart, his grin is blinding. “You like me too, huh?”

I smack him in the arm, rolling my eyes, but there’s no containing my cheek-splitting smile. He won’t ever stop being my best friend, only now something new crests the horizon.

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

“That’s good.” He taps my nose three times. I used to hate it when he did that, but it’s become our little thing. “Because the first day you came to my house, I knew you were gonna be my girl.”

SUNSHINE KISSES

I wanna be your first, last, everything

Through the hard, through the good

Give me them all, girl

Give me all your sunshine kisses

Even if it’s raining down outside

TEN

TATE

Hearing Talia’s muffled sobs through the wall separating our bedrooms is a fate worse than death. The noise shreds at my soul. Deep claw marks score across my heart with each whimper and sniffle.

I splay my finger over the beige wallpaper, wishing she could feel me.

I’m here, baby. I’m so sorry.

Maybe it’s for the best there’s a wall between us. She hates crying with an audience, and seeing her tear-soaked cheeks would kill me.

No ring.

She doesn’t sleep in our bed.

I’m almost afraid to find out what else she has in store for me.

The plan was to always return to town, albeit not in such a dramatic fashion as ending up in the hospital, but she’s acting like my return is the second coming of Christ himself.